Americans can’t get enough of Cotswolds’ chocolate-box villages

The marriage of Steve Jobs’s daughter to her fiancé took place at Estelle Manor, a grade II-listed country house and members’ club. A few days before, guests, including the former presidential candidate and her security, gathered for a meal at the Bull, an ivy-covered Cotswolds pub.

But Harris isn’t the only high-profile American arriving in the Cotswolds this summer. Her successor, JD Vance, is expected to spend part of his summer holiday in the area, and is rumoured to have rented a house next month, also in Charlbury.

US TV star Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, bought a place in the Cotswolds last year. The renovated farm is now on sale for £22.5m as the couple seek a property better suited to their horses. But DeGeneres confirmed this month that her arrival in the UK is a permanent move, driven by Donald Trump’s second election.

The president himself is enjoying a “private” trip to Scotland this weekend, to visit his golf courses.

Meanwhile, US private equity executive Steve Schwarzman recently bought a historic spot in Wiltshire. He is restoring the 17th-century, 2,500-acre Conholt Park estate, which he bought for £80m in 2022, and has recently paid tens of millions of pounds for artworks by Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, presumably to adorn its walls.

Larry Ellison, the second richest man in the world, made a more practical purchase earlier this year, acquiring a London townhouse on St James’s Square for £162m, reportedly for use as premises for his research institute.

The Cotswolds, however, appear to be the biggest draw right now. Charles Avens, head of immigration at law firm Collyer Bristow, advises high-net worth individuals and international investors looking to relocate to the UK. “It’s our biggest area for Americans coming here,” he said. Four years ago, the firm’s US clients were only interested in the capital. “For many years, it was London, London, London. Now they’re saying Cotswolds.”

Avens said stars such as DeGeneres have put the area “on the map” and that it is “a gem – they find it incredibly quaint”.

It’s conveniently close to London, perfect for international flights, and for access to the global financial hub in the City of London.

VisitBritain predicts that Americans will make up the largest tourist demographic this year. Cotswolds Tourism said US visitors are particularly keen on the region thanks to its royal links, historic sites and traditional pubs. Tourism has also been driven by popular TV shows such as Downton Abbey and Rivals, with bespoke tours taking people to recognisable filming locations, although these have put pressure on some small villages such as Bampton. Others are seeking out quieter villages, or more unusual activities, like meeting a Cotswolds farmer or learning how to bake scones in a cottage.

And it isn’t just for holidays. Home Office figures show that in the year to March 2025, there was a spike in US citizens looking to settle in the UK, with more than 6,000 applying to live and work in the UK indefinitely, or become UK citizens.

Helen Whitfield, head of residential at Cotswolds estate agency Butler Sherborn, said rumours of an exodus from the US to the Cotswolds began following Trump’s second election. Initially, she was sceptical. “But in the past two months, we’re seeing it happening,” she said. “The buying agents all have American clients at the moment.”

While there’ve always been some Americans looking for Cotswolds properties, until recently, most were seeking holiday homes.

“US buyers used to be people based in London who were looking for a second home. Now it’s people who’ve never invested in the UK before, they’re first-time buyers here.”

They’re generally seeking properties that are “quintessential Cotswolds”, said Whitfield. “Older than America! They love the quirks, they want to whack their heads on every other doorway. They buy into the very pretty villages that are sometimes overridden by tourists. But they don’t care, they want chocolate-box perfection.”

The area also boasts lifestyle factors that appeal to many affluent Americans. “All of the private members clubs we have here now are a huge draw,” said Whitfield. Wealthy Americans would be members of country clubs in the US, she said, and in the Cotswolds they can choose from Soho Farmhouse, Estelle Manor, and The Club by Bamford at Daylesford organic farm.

Some buyers want to get away from the Trump administration, while others are attracted by the (comparatively) lower cost of higher education in the UK or leaving over concerns about gun crime (something TV presenter Cat Deeley mentioned when she discussed her family’s move back to the UK last year). With the position of the pound against the dollar, “property in the UK is a great investment opportunity for Americans”, Avens added. He hopes this is just the start. “We want Americans in the UK, because they set up businesses, hire a lot of people, and spend serious money here.”

Main image: Sotheby's International Realty